Open loop correction for optical proximity detectors

ABSTRACT

An optical proximity detector includes a driver, light detector, analog front-end, sensor(s) that sense correction factor(s) (e.g., temperature, supply voltage and/or forward voltage drop), and a digital back end. The driver drives the light source to emit light. The light detector produces a light detection signal indicative of a magnitude and a phase of a portion of the emitted light that reflects off an object and is incident on the light detector. The analog front-end receives the light detection signal and outputs a digital light detection signal, or digital in-phase and quadrature-phase signals, which are provided to the digital back-end. The digital back-end performs closed loop correction(s) for dynamic variation(s) in gain and/or phase caused by a portion of the analog front-end, uses polynomial equation(s) and sensed correction factor(s) to perform open loop correction(s) for dynamic variations in temperature, supply voltage and/or forward voltage drop, and outputs a distance value.

PRIORITY CLAIM

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/718,563 filed May 21, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,977,512. Thepresent application also claims priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/068,257, filed Oct. 24, 2014, which is incorporatedherein by reference, which is incorporated herein by reference.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application relates to commonly assigned U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/495,688, entitled “Optical Proximity Detectors,” which wasfiled Sep. 24, 2014, and commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser.No. 14/718,844, entitled “Precision Estimation for Optical ProximityDetectors” filed May 21, 2015, each of which is incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND

Optical proximity detectors (which can also be referred to as opticalproximity sensors or optical proximity detection sensors) typicallyinclude or use a light source and an adjacent photosensitive lightdetector. Such optical proximity detectors can be used to detect thepresence of an object, estimate proximity of (e.g., distance to) anobject and/or detect motion of an object, based on the light originatingfrom the light source that is reflected from an object and detected bythe light detector. Where such detectors are specifically used to detectdistance to an object, they can also be referred to as optical distancedetectors or optical distance sensors. Where such detectors rely ontime-of-flight (TOF) principles to detect distance to an object, theycan also be referred to as optical TOP sensors, optical TOP proximitysensors, optical TOF proximity detectors, or the like. The value ofthese detectors/sensors has become more important with the advent ofbattery-operated handheld devices, such as mobile phones. For example, afair amount of the energy from a mobile phone battery is used to drivethe display, and there is value in turning off the display or backlightwhen the mobile phone or other device is brought to the user's ear(where it cannot be viewed anyway). Optical proximity detectors havebeen used for this, and many other applications.

For other examples, there are many other applications in which thepresence of an object can be detected with an optical proximity detectorto advantage. These range from sensing when protective covers have beenopened on machinery, paper has been positioned correctly in a printer,or an operator's hands are at risk near an operating machine. An opticalproximity detector can also be used as a simple touch or near-touchactivated switch, and could be implemented in applications likekeyboards or devices that have a plastic housing that is sealed butwhich allows the light from the source to pass through and be sensed bythe detector on the return.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of an optical proximity detector.

FIG. 2A is a high level flow diagram that is used to describe a methodfor use by an optical proximity detector, such as the one introduced inFIG. 1, during an operational mode.

FIG. 2B is a high level flow diagram that is used to describe a methodfor use by an optical proximity detector, such as the one introduced inFIG. 1, during a dynamic gain and phase offset calibration mode.

FIG. 2C is a high level flow diagram that is used to describe a methodfor use by an optical proximity detector, such as the one introduced inFIG. 1, during a crosstalk calibration mode.

FIG. 2D is a high level flow diagram that is used to describe a methodfor use by an optical proximity detector, such as the one introduced inFIG. 1, during a static phase offset calibration mode.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary repetition rate and an exemplary pulsewidth of the drive signal produced by the driver introduced in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of an optical proximity detector,according to an embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a high level flow diagram that is used to describe a methodfor performing open loop corrections for residual errors for use by anoptical proximity detector, such as the one introduced in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a high level flow diagram that is used to describe a methodfor providing estimates of precision for use by an optical proximitydetector, such as the one introduced in FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 illustrates a system, according to an embodiment, which includesthe optical proximity detector introduced in FIG. 1 or 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates an optical proximity detector 102 that was disclosedcommonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/495,688, entitled“Optical Proximity Detectors,” which was filed Sep. 24, 2014. Where theoptical proximity detector 102 is used for detecting a distance to anobject (e.g., 105), the optical proximity detector 102 can alternativelybe referred to as an optical distance detector 102. Where the opticalproximity detector 102 relies on time-of-flight (TOF) principles todetect distance to an object, it can also be referred to morespecifically as an optical TOF distance sensor, an optical TOF proximitysensor, an optical TOF proximity detector, or the like. Referring toFIG. 1, the optical proximity detector 102 is shown as including aninfrared light source 104, a light detector 106, analog front-endcircuitry 108, digital back-end circuitry 112, a driver 110 and a timinggenerator 120. The light source 104 and the light detector 106 can alsobe considered part of the analog front-end circuitry 108. The analogfront-end circuitry 108 can also be referred to as an analog front-end(AFE), a front-end channel, or simply a front-end. Similarly, thedigital back-end circuitry 108 can also be referred to as a digitalback-end, a back-end channel, or simply a back-end. The timing generator120 can include, e.g., a local oscillator that outputs a high frequencysignal (e.g., 4.5 MHz or 5 MHz), and a phase shifter that shifts thephase of the high frequency signal by 90 degrees. As will be describedin additional detail below, the high frequency signal (e.g., 4.5 MHz or5 MHz) may be provided to the driver 110 and the front-end 108, and thehigh frequency signal shifted by 90 degrees may also be provided to thefront-end 108. The timing generator 120 can also include circuitry toproduce signals of other frequencies, e.g., lower and/or higherfrequencies, which may be used by various other blocks of the opticalproximity detector 102. The optical proximity detector 102 is also shownas including a voltage supply 109 that produces a supply voltage labeledVcc. The supply voltage output by the voltage supply 109 can be used todirectly power the various components of both the analog front-end 108and the digital back-end 112. It is also possible that the supplyvoltage output by the voltage supply 109 be stepped-up or stepped-downto one or more other voltages that is/are used to power specificcomponents of the analog front-end 108 and/or the digital back-end 112.

The infrared light source 104 can be, e.g., one or more infrared lightemitting diode (LED) or infrared laser diode, but is not limitedthereto. While infrared (IR) light sources are often employed in opticalproximity detectors, because the human eye cannot detect IR light, thelight source can alternatively produce light of other wavelengths.Accordingly, the infrared light source 104 can be referred to moregenerically as the light source 104. The light detector 106 can be,e.g., one or more photodiode (PD), but is not limited thereto. Whenimplemented as a PD operating in a photoconductive mode, the lightdetector 106 converts detected light into a current signal. Ifimplemented as a PD operating in photovoltaic mode, the light detector106 would convert detected light into a voltage signal. Unless statedotherwise, it will be assumed for the sake of this description that thelight detector 106 is a PD operating in the photoconductive mode.

In accordance with an embodiment, the front-end 108 receives a widerange of input currents (from the light detector 106) at a highfrequency (e.g., 4.5 MHz or 5 MHz), and conditions the signal fordigitizing. Such conditioning can include adjusting gain to increase andpreferably optimize dynamic range, filtering to increase and preferablyoptimize signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and IQ demodulating to simplifydigital back-end processing. In accordance with an embodiment, thedigital back-end 112 performs additional filtering, corrects for dynamicgain and phase offset errors, corrects for crosstalk errors, andcalculates a phase that is indicative of a distance between the opticalproximity detector 102 and a target 105. The digital back-end 112 canalso correct for static phase offset errors. Additionally, the digitalback-end 112 generates one or more control signals for the analogfront-end 108. Additional details of the analog front-end 108 and thedigital back-end 112 are described below.

Still referring to FIG. 1, in accordance with an embodiment, the analogfront-end 108 includes an amplifier 122, a gain adjustment circuit 130,an IQ demodulator circuit 140, analog low pass filters 144 i, 144 q andanalog-to-digital converters (ADCs) 146 i, 146 q. While ADCs 146 i and146 q are illustrated as two separate ADCs, a single ADC can instead beused, where the single ADC is time shared between the I and Q channels.In accordance with an embodiment, the digital back-end 112 includes again adjustment controller 150, one or more digital filter(s) 152, adynamic gain and phase offset corrector 153, a crosstalk corrector 154,a phase and magnitude calculator 156 and a static phase offset corrector158. The digital back-end 112 is also shown as including a distancecalculator 164 and a precision estimator 166. In accordance with anembodiment, each of the blocks within the digital back-end 112 areimplemented using a digital signal processor (DSP). Alternatively, eachof the blocks within the digital back-end 112 can be implemented usingdigital circuitry. It is also possible that some of the blocks of thedigital back-end 112 can be implemented using a DSP, while other blocksare implemented using digital circuitry. In certain embodiments, one orboth of the distance calculator 164 and the precision estimator 166 areimplemented external to the digital back-end 112, and optionallyexternal to the optical proximity detector. For example, the precisionestimator 166 can be implemented by a dedicated digital chip, or a hostMCU, but is not limited thereto.

The driver circuit 110 produces a drive signal in dependence on a drivetiming signal (also referred to as the IrDr timing signal) produced bythe timing generator 120. The drive timing signal can be, e.g., a 4.5MHz square wave signal, but is not limited thereto. This drive signal isused to drive the infrared light source 104, in response to which theinfrared light source 104 emits infrared light. The modulation frequencyof the emitted infrared light, which can also be referred to as thecarrier frequency, is dependent on the frequency of the drive timingsignal (e.g., 4.5 MHz). In other words, where the infrared light source104 is driven by a 4.5 MHz drive signal, then the carrier frequency ofthe emitted infrared light will be 4.5 MHz.

If there is a target 105 (which can more generally be referred to as anobject 105) within the sense region (i.e., field of view and range) ofthe optical proximity detector 102, infrared light emitted by theinfrared light source 104 will be reflected from the target 105, and aportion of the reflected infrared light will be incident on the lightdetector 106. In response to detecting light, the light detector 106produces a light detection signal that is indicative of the magnitudeand the phase of the detected light. The magnitude of the lightdetection signal can be dependent, e.g., on the distance between thetarget 105 and the optical proximity detector 102 and the color of thetarget. In general, all other things being equal, the closer the target105, the greater the magnitude of the light detection signal. Further,all other things being equal, if a target has a white color, or anotherhighly reflective color, the magnitude of the light detection signalwill be greater than if the target has a black color, or another lowlyreflective color. By contrast, the phase of the light detection signalshould be primarily dependent on the distance between the target 105 andthe optical proximity detector 102, and should not depend on the coloror reflectivity of the target 105.

While not shown in FIG. 1, one or more optical filter can be located infront of the light detector 106 to reflect and/or absorb wavelengthsthat are not of interest. For a more specific example, one or moreoptical filters can be used to reject ambient visible light and passinfrared light. Alternative and/or additional techniques for rejectingand/or compensating for ambient visible light can be used, as are knownin the art.

Infrared light emitted by the light source 104 and detected by the lightdetector 106, which has not been reflected off of the target object 105,is considered optical crosstalk that reduces the capability of theoverall device or system to sense distance. Some such light may traveldirectly from the light source 104 to the light detector 106. To reduceand preferably prevent light from traveling directly from the lightsource 104 to the light detector 106, an opaque light barrier (shown aselement 103 in FIG. 1) can be used to isolate the light source 104 fromthe light detector 106. However, light barriers are often imperfect,resulting in light leaking under, over and/or through the barrier.Additionally, optical crosstalk may result from specular reflectionsand/or other types of backscatter, especially where the light source 104and the light detector 106 are covered by a glass or plastic coverplate, as is known in the art.

The light detection signal produced by the light detector 106 can beamplified by an optional amplifier 122 (which has a fixed gain) beforethe light detection signal is provided to a gain adjustment circuit 130.The optional amplifier 122 can also be used to convert a current signalto a voltage signal, or vice versa, depending upon whether there is adesire to perform signal processing in the voltage or current domain,and depending upon whether the light detector 106 produces a voltagesignal or a current signal indicative of the magnitude and phase ofdetected light. For example, the amplifier 122 can be a transimpedanceamplifier (TIA) having a fixed gain. Most signals described herein arereferred to generically as a signal, without specifying whether thesignal is a current signal or a voltage signal. This is because eithertype of signal can be used, depending upon implementation. Unless statedotherwise, it will be assumed that the amplifier 122 is a transimpedanceamplifier (TIA) that converts a current signal produced by the lightdetector 106 to a voltage signal, and that further processing by thefront-end 108 is done in the voltage domain, as opposed to the currentdomain. The amplifier 122 and the gain adjustment circuit 130collectively, or individually, can be referred to as amplificationcircuitry 132, or more specifically, as analog amplification circuitry132.

The optical proximity detector 102 is also shown as including a DCphotocurrent (DCPC) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 111, which is usedto produce digital values indicative of the DC current produced by thelight detector 106 when the infrared light source 104 is not emittinginfrared light. In other words, the DCPC ADC 111 is used to measure theshot noise of the optical proximity detector 102. The output of the DCPCADC 111 is provided to a precision estimator 166, which is discussed inmore detail below.

Still referring to FIG. 1, the gain adjustment circuit 130 includes atleast one variable gain amplifier (VGA) that is controlled by the gainadjustment controller 150. Within this document, the light detectionsignal, as the term is used herein, is a signal indicative of themagnitude and the phase of the light detected by the light detector 106,whether or not the signal is amplified by the optional fixed gainamplifier 122. The gain adjustment circuit 130 adjusts the amplitude oflight detection signal in dependence on one or more gain adjustmentsignal received from the gain adjustment, controller 150, as will bedescribed in additional detail below. The output of the gain adjustmentcircuit 130, which can be referred to as the amplitude adjusted lightdetection signal, is provided to the IQ demodulator 140. More generally,the output of the analog amplification circuitry 132 can be referred toas the amplitude adjusted light detection signal.

The gain adjustment circuit 130 can also include, for example, aband-pass filter (BPF), which reduces the bandwidth of the front-end 108to reject noise that would otherwise adversely affect the front-end 108.The BPF can, for example, have a center frequency of 5 MHz, a 3 dB 500kHz bandwidth, a lower cutoff frequency of 4.75 MHz and an upper cutofffrequency of 5.25 MHz. For another example, the BPF can have a centerfrequency of 4.5 MHz, a. 3 dB 500 kHz bandwidth, a lower cutofffrequency of 4.25 MHz and an upper cutoff frequency of 5.75 MHz. The BPFcan be between a pair of VGAs of the gain adjustment circuit 130. Thisis just an example, which is not meant to be limiting.

The IQ demodulator 140 separates the amplitude adjusted light detectionsignal into an in-phase signal and a quadrature-phase signal (which canalso be referred to respectively as an I-component and a Q-component, oras simply as an I-signal and a Q-signal), wherein the quadrature-phasesignal is 90 degrees out of phase relative to the in-phase signal. In anembodiment, the IQ demodulator 140 includes a pair of mixers, labeled142 i and 142 q, which can also be referred to as multipliers 142 i and142 q. Both of the mixers 142 i, 142 q receive the same amplitudeadjusted light detection signal from the gain adjustment circuit 130.The mixer 1.42 i multiplies the amplitude adjusted light detectionsignal by an in-phase demodulation signal (IDem) produced by the timinggenerator 120. The mixer 142 q multiplies the amplitude adjusted lightdetection signal by a quadrature-phase demodulation signal (QDem)produced by the timing generator 120.

In accordance with an embodiment, the in-phase demodulation signal(IDem) has the same phase as (i.e., is in phase with) the drive timingsignal (also referred to as the IrDr timing signal) produced by thetiming generator 120, which is used to generate the drive signal thatdrives the light source 104; and the quadrature-phase demodulationsignal (QDem) is 90 degrees out of phase from the in-phase demodulationsignal (IDem) (and thus, is 90 degrees out of phase from the drivetiming signal produced by the timing generator 120). While separatingthe amplitude adjusted light detection signal into in-phase andquadrature-phase signals, the mixers 142 i, 142 q also down convertthese signals to baseband.

In an embodiment, the in-phase signal and the quadrature-phase signal(both of which are output by the IQ demodulator 140) are low passfiltered by respective optional analog LPFs 144 i, 144 q and digitizedby respective ADCs 146 i, 146 q. The optional analog LPFs 144 i, 144 qcan be used to filter out harmonics and high frequency noise that arenot of interest, which result from the mixing performed by the mixers142 i, 142 q. The output of the ADC 146 i can be referred to as adigital in-phase signal, and the output of the ADC 146 q can be referredto as a digital quadrature-phase signal.

The digital in-phase signal and the digital quadrature-phase signaloutput by the front-end 108, which can be referred to respectively asthe digital I-signal and the digital Q-signal, are provided to thedigital back-end 112. As mentioned above, the digital back-end 112 isshown as including one or more optional digital filter(s) 152, a dynamicgain and phase offset corrector 153, a crosstalk corrector 154, a phaseand magnitude calculator 156, a static phase offset corrector 158, and again adjustment controller 150. The digital back-end 112 is also shownas including the distance calculator 164. Additionally, the digitalback-end 112 is shown as including a precision estimator 166, which isdiscussed in additional detail below. It is also possible that thedistance calculator 164 and/or the precision estimator 166 is/areexternal to the digital back-end, and more generally, external to theoptical proximity detector 102.

Each of the digital filter(s) 152 can, for example, be implemented as anintegrate-and-dump circuit, in which case it can also be referred to asa decimator, an integrate-and-dump decimator, or an integrate-and-dumpfilter. For example, one digital filter 152 can integrate the digitalin-phase signal for a period of time and then output (a.k.a. dump) theresult, at which point it is reset and repeats the integration and dumpfunctions for another period of time, and so on; and another digitalfilter 152 can integrate the digital quadrature-phase signal for aperiod of time and then output (a.k.a. dump) the result, at which pointit is reset and repeats the integration and dump functions for anotherperiod of time, and so on. Other implementations of the digitalfilter(s) 152 are also possible.

In accordance with an embodiment, the gain adjustment controller 150determines or approximates the amplitude of the IQ vector provided to itto thereby adjust the gain of the VGA(s) of the gain adjustment circuit130 of the analog front-end 108 so that the amplitude of the IQ vectoris substantially equal to a target amplitude, in order to increase andpreferably optimize the dynamic range of the front-end 108. If theamplitude of the IQ vector is below the target amplitude, then thegain(s) of the VGA(s) within the gain adjustment circuit 130 is/areincreased. Conversely, if the amplitude of the IQ vector is above thetarget amplitude, then the gain(s) of the VGA(s) within the gainadjustment circuit 130 is/are decreased. In other words, a gainadjustment feedback loop is used to adjust the amplitude of the IQvector. The gain adjustment controller 150 can determine the amplitudeof the IQ vector, e.g., by calculating the square root of the sum of theamplitude of digital I-signal squared and the amplitude of the digitalQ-signal squared. Alternatively, the gain adjustment controller 150 canapproximate the amplitude of the IQ vector by simply assuming that theamplitude of the IQ vector is equal to the greater of the amplitude ofthe digital I-signal and the amplitude of the digital Q-signal. In otherwords, the gain adjustment controller 150 can compare the amplitude ofthe digital I-signal to the amplitude of the digital Q-signal, andselect which ever amplitude is greater as an approximation of theamplitude of the IQ vector. The gain adjustment controller 150 canalternatively use other techniques to determine or approximate theamplitude of the IQ vector. Alternatively, peak detectors can be used tomonitor the swing of the amplitude adjusted light detection signal, andthe gain adjustment controller 150 can adjust the gain to adjust theswing to a specified level.

The dynamic gain and phase offset corrector 153 corrects for dynamicvariations in gain and phase offset of the analog front-end 108 that aredue to changes in temperature and/or operating voltage levels of theanalog front-end 108. Such changes in operating voltage levels can,e.g., be due to changes in voltage levels used to power components ofthe analog front-end 108. The crosstalk corrector 154 corrects forelectrical crosstalk and/or optical crosstalk, depending uponimplementation. The phase and magnitude calculator 156 calculates phaseand magnitude values in dependence on the digital I-signal and thedigital Q-signal received from the analog front-end 108, and morespecifically, based on corrected versions thereof. The correctedversions of the digital I-signal and the digital Q-signal that arereceived by the phase and magnitude calculator 156 can also be referredto as the corrected IQ vector. Various well known algorithms, such asbut not limited to a CORDIC algorithm, can be used to calculate thephase from the corrected IQ vector. The static phase offset corrector158 corrects for a static phase offset of the optical proximity detector102, which can also be referred to as distance offset calibration. Thephase value output from the static phase offset corrector 158 can bestored in a register (e.g., 160) or memory (e.g., 162) within thedigital back-end 112, or external to the digital back-end. Either way,such a register or memory can be accesses by another subsystem that isresponsive to the phase, or more generally, to the distance between thetarget 105 and the optical proximity detector 102. It is also possiblethat the subsystem that accesses the stored phase simply responds to thepresence of a target 105 within the range and field of view of theoptical proximity detector 102.

In accordance with certain embodiments, the distance calculator 164outputs a digital distance value based on the phase value it receivesfrom the static phase offset corrector 158. For example, the distancecalculator 164 can use the phase value it receives to determine adistance between the optical proximity detector 102 and a target 105,which can also be referred to as the distance to the target 105. Forexample, the phase value, which can also be referred to as thephase-offset (relative to the light emitted by the IR light source), canbe converted to a time delay (because for any carrier frequency there isa corresponding relationship between phase-offset and time delay). Thetime delay can be converted to a roundtrip distance by multiplying thetime delay by the well-known speed of light, as is typically done whenusing time-of-flight (TOF) principles. The roundtrip distance can beconverted to a one-way distance, which is the distance between theoptical proximity detector 102 and the object 105, by dividing theroundtrip distance by two. More specifically, the distance (d) betweenthe optical proximity detector 102 and the object 105 can be determinedusing the equation: d=(c*t)/2, where c is the speed of light and t isthe time delay. The distance calculator can be implemented using anarithmetic logic unit (ALU) or a look-up-table (LUT), but is not limitedthereto. The digital value output by the distance calculator 164, whichcan be referred to as a digital distance value, can be an actual valueof the distance to the object, e.g., 1.2 meters. Alternatively, thedigital distance value output by the distance calculator 164 can be avalue that is proportional to distance or otherwise related to distanceto the object, from which an actual value of distance to the object canbe calculated, e.g., by multiplying the value by a constant or pluggingthe value into a predetermined equation. More generally, the digitalvalue output by the distance calculator 164 is indicative of distancebetween the optical proximity detector 102 and an object (e.g., theobject 105) that is within the sense region (i.e., field of view andrange) of the optical proximity detector 102. The static phase offsetcorrector 158 corrects for a static phase offset of the opticalproximity detector 102, which can also be referred to as distance offsetcalibration. The digital distance value output from the distancecalculator 164 can be stored in a register (e.g., 160) or memory (e.g.,162) within the digital back-end 112, or external to the digitalback-end. Either way, such a register or memory can be accesses byanother subsystem that is responsive to the distance between the target105 and the optical proximity detector 102. It is also possible that thesubsystem that accesses the stored digital distance value simplyresponds to the presence of a target 105 within the range and field ofview of the optical proximity detector 102.

Additionally details of the operation of the dynamic gain and phaseoffset corrector 153, the crosstalk corrector 154 and the static phaseoffset corrector 158, are discussed below. A benefit of the digitalback-end 112, described with reference to FIG. 1, performing correctionsand calculations in IQ domain, is that the IQ domain is linear and canbe approximated by a linear function. This advantageously allows linearprocessing techniques to be used, which can significantly easeimplementation complexity.

In FIG. 1, the IQ Demodulator 140 is shown as being part of the analogfront-end 108 and performing IQ demodulation in the analog domainupstream from the ADCs 146 i, 146 q. In alternative embodiments, the IQDemodulator can be part of the digital back-end 112 and can perform IQdemodulation in the digital domain. More specifically, the amplitudeadjusted light detection signal, which is output by the amplificationcircuitry 132, can be converted to a digital amplitude adjusted lightdetection signal by an ADC 146 of the analog front-end 108. The digitalback-end 112 can then separate the digital amplitude adjusted lightdetection signal into digital in-phase and quadrature-phase versionsthereof (which can also be referred to respectively as an I-componentand a Q-component, or as simply as an I-signal and a Q-signal), whereinthe digital quadrature-phase signal is 90 degrees out of phase relativeto the digital in-phase signal. In other words, instead of performingthe IQ demodulation between the amplification circuitry 132 and the ADCs146, the IQ demodulation can alternatively be performed between an ADC146 (e.g., implemented as a bandpass sigma delta ADC, but not limitedthereto) and the dynamic gain and phase offset corrector 153. Thedynamic gain and phase offset corrector 153, the crosstalk corrector154, and the static phase offset corrector 158, described below, can beused with either of the above described embodiments, i.e., regardless ofwhether an IQ demodulator is part of the analog front-end or the digitalback-end.

Dynamic Analog Gain and Phase Offset Correction

There are analog voltage regulators and/or other analog voltage suppliesthat provide power to analog components of the analog front-end 108,such as, but not limited to, the amplifier 122 and the one or more VGAsof the gain adjustment circuit 130. Such analog components are generallyrepresented by the voltage supply 109 in FIG. 1. The operation of suchanalog components may vary depending upon the temperature of suchcomponents and/or the supply voltage provided to such components. Morespecifically, the gain of such analog components may vary (e.g., drib)depending upon the temperature of such components and/or the operatingvoltage of such components. Additionally, a phase offset caused by suchcomponents may vary depending upon the temperature of such componentsand/or the operating voltage of such components. If not dynamicallycompensated for, these dynamic changes in gain and phase offset mayadversely affect phase calculations that are used to determine thedistance of an object (e.g., 105) relative to the optical proximitydetector 102. Specific embodiments, which will now be described, areused to compensate for such dynamic changes in gain and phase offsets ofanalog components of the analog front-end 108.

The dynamic response of the amplifier 122 and the gain adjustmentcircuit 130 of the analog front-end 112 (and more generally, the analogcircuitry of the analog front-end prior to the IQ demodulator) can bemathematically represented by the following equation:H(s)=H _(O)(s)·A(V,T)·e ^(jϕ(V,T))where

-   H(s) represents the overall response of the amplifier and the gain    adjustment circuit of the analog front-end,-   H_(O)(s) represents the nominal response of the amplifier and the    gain adjustment circuit of the analog front-end,-   A(V,T) represents dynamic gain offset of the amplifier and the gain    adjustment circuit of the analog front-end as a function of    operating voltage and temperature, and-   Φ(V,T) represents dynamic phase offset of the amplifier and the gain    adjustment circuit of the analog front-end as a function of    operating voltage and temperature.

In accordance with an embodiment, in order to compensate for the dynamicgain and phase offsets of the analog circuitry of the analog front-endprior to the IQ demodulator, the dynamic gain and phase offset corrector153 has a transfer function substantially equal toH_(O)(s)/H(s)=1/{A(V,T)·e^(jΦ(V,T))}. In other words, the dynamic gainand phase offset corrector 153 has a transfer function that issubstantially equal to the inverse of the dynamic portion of thetransfer function of the amplifier 122 and the gain adjustment circuit130 of the analog front-end 112 (and more generally, the dynamic portionof the analog circuitry of the analog front-end prior to the IQdemodulator). If the transfer function of the dynamic gain and phaseoffset corrector 153 is H_(O)/H′(s), then the desire is for H′(s) to beas close as possible to H(s). More generally, the dynamic analog gainand phase offset corrector 153 corrects for dynamic variations in gainand phase offset of the analog front-end 108 that are due to changes intemperature and/or supply voltage levels used to power components of theanalog front-end 108.

In accordance with an embodiment, in order to estimate the response ofthe amplifier 122 and the gain adjustment circuit 130 of the analogfront-end 112 (and more generally, the analog circuitry of the analogfront-end prior to the IQ demodulator), a calibration reference signalis generated by a calibration reference signal generator 107 andprovided to the analog front-end 108 using a switch SW during acalibration mode, which can more specifically be referred to as adynamic gain and phase offset calibration mode or procedure. Morespecifically, the switch Sw connects an input of the analog front-end108 to an output of the calibration reference signal generator 107during the dynamic gain and phase offset calibration mode, and theswitch Sw connects the input of the analog front-end 108 to the lightdetector 106 during an operational mode.

In accordance with certain embodiments, the calibration reference signalgenerated by the calibration reference signal generator 107 isessentially an attenuated version of the drive signal output by thedriver 110 that is matched in phase with the drive signal output by thedriver 1.1.0. In one embodiment, the calibration reference signalreceives the same signal provided to an input of the driver 110 (i.e.,the IrDr timing signal) and generates an output that is matched in phaseto the output of the driver 110, but has a magnitude that is within thedynamic range of the analog front-end 108. In another embodiment, thecalibration reference generator 107 includes a further light source andlight detector (distinct from 104 and 106) that are configured as anoptical coupler, wherein a. signal produced by the further lightdetector (of the optical coupler) is the calibration reference signal.In still another embodiment, the calibration reference signal generator107 includes a sense resistor that senses the drive signal output by thedriver 110, and an attenuator that attenuates a magnitude of the senseddrive signal without changing a phase of the drive signal.Alternatively, during the calibration mode, the driver 110 can output adrive signal having a reduced magnitude that is used as the calibrationreference signal. Regardless of the implementation, a calibrationreference signal is generated and provided to the analog front-end 108using a switch Sw during the dynamic gain and phase offset calibrationmode, wherein the calibration reference signal has the same phase as thedrive signal output by the driver 110 and has a magnitude that is withinthe dynamic range of the analog front-end 108. Such a calibrationreference signal can also be referred to as a zero-phase (ZP)calibration reference signal.

If there were no dynamic gain offset caused by the amplifier 122 and thegain adjustment circuit 130 of the analog front-end 112 (and moregenerally, by the analog circuitry of the analog front-end prior to theIQ demodulator), then the magnitude of the IQ vector (including thedigital I-signal and the digital Q-signal) output by the ADCs 146 i, 146q in response to the calibration reference signal being provided to theanalog-front end 108 should be solely dependent on the magnitude of thecalibration reference signal, a nominal level of gain caused by theamplifier 122, and a nominal level of gain caused by the gain adjustmentcircuit 130. Accordingly, the expected magnitude of the IQ vector(produced in response to the calibration reference signal being providedto the analog-front end 108) can be readily calculated or otherwisedetermined by directly computing the Pythagorean theorem or the CORDICalgorithm, but not limited thereto. However, because the actual levelsof gain caused by the amplifier 122 and the gain adjustment circuit 130will vary due to variations in temperature and/or operating voltage, theactual magnitude of the IQ vector (produced in response to thecalibration reference signal being provided to the analog-front end 108)will differ from the expected magnitude, with the differencetherebetween being the dynamic gain offset caused by the amplifier 122and the gain adjustment circuit 130 of the analog front-end 108 (andmore generally, by the analog circuitry of the analog front-end prior tothe IQ demodulator). This difference between the actual magnitude of theIQ vector and the expected magnitude of the IQ vector, which can bedetermined during the calibration mode, will be referred to as thezero-phase gain offset or simply as A_(ZP).

If there were no dynamic phase offset caused by the amplifier 122 andthe gain adjustment circuit 130 of the analog front-end 108 (and moregenerally, by the analog circuitry of the analog front-end prior to theIQ demodulator), then the phase of the IQ vector (including the digitalI-signal and the digital Q-signal) output by the ADCs 146 i, 146 q inresponse to the calibration reference signal being provided to theanalog-front end 108 should be a nominal phase offset. In other words,the expected phase of the IQ vector (produced in response to thecalibration reference signal being provided to the analog-front end 108)is a nominal phase. However, because the amplifier 122 and the gainadjustment circuit 130 cause a phase offset that will vary due tovariations in temperature and/or operating voltage, the actual phase ofthe IQ vector (produced in response to the calibration reference signalbeing provided to the analog-front end 108) will differ from theexpected nominal phase offset, with the difference therebetween beingthe dynamic phase offset caused by the amplifier 122 and the gainadjustment circuit 130 of the analog front-end 108 (and more generally,by the analog circuitry of the analog front-end prior to the IQdemodulator). This difference between the actual phase of the IQ vectorand the expected phase of IQ vector, which can be determined duringcalibration mode, will be referred to as the zero-phase phase offset orsimply as Φ_(ZP).

In accordance with an embodiment, the zero-phase gain offset (i.e.,A_(ZP)) and the zero-phase offset (i.e., Φ_(ZP)) are determined duringthe calibration mode, and used to determine the transfer function thatis applied by the dynamic gain and phase offset corrector 153 during theoperational mode. More specifically, in accordance with an embodiment,the transfer unction of the dynamic gain and phase offset corrector 153is

${H_{O}\text{/}{H^{\prime}(s)}} = {\frac{1}{A_{zp}} \cdot {e_{ZP}^{{- j}\;\varnothing}.}}$

Depending upon implementation, the aforementioned transfer function,which is applied by the dynamic gain and phase offset corrector 153, canalso be used to correct for dynamic gain and phase offsets caused by thelight source 104 and/or the light detector 106.

Crosstalk Correction

As noted above, the crosstalk corrector 154 corrects for electricalcrosstalk and/or optical crosstalk, depending upon implementation.Electrical crosstalk can result, e.g. from a single ended relativelyhigh current in-phase drive signal, produced by the driver 110, which isused to drive the light source 104. More generally, electrical crosstalkcan also be caused by undesired capacitive, inductive, and/or conductivecoupling from one circuit, part of a circuit, or channel, to another,and/or due to undesired power supply coupling. Optical crosstalk canresult, e.g., from specular reflections, Lambertian reflections, orleakage through the light barrier 103 that separates the light source104 and the light detector 106. Exemplary further details of causes andsources of optical crosstalk were discussed above.

Optimally, if the driver 110 drives the infrared light source 104 andthere is no target (e.g., 105) within the sense region (i.e., field ofview and range) of the optical proximity detector 102, then no infraredlight emitted by the infrared light source 104 should be incident on thelight detector 106, and no signal should be provided to analog-frontend, in which case the digital I-signal and the digital Q-signal shouldhave a zero magnitude. However, due to electrical crosstalk and opticalcrosstalk, this will not be the case. Certain embodiments describedherein correct for such crosstalk, as explained below.

In accordance with an embodiment, crosstalk is determined during acrosstalk calibration procedure or mode, during which the light detector106 is caused to be non-responsive to light incident on the lightdetector 106 from outside the optical proximity detector 102, and thelight source 104 is driven by the driver 110 in the same manner it wouldbe during the operational mode. The light that the light detector 106should not be responsive to includes both light that originated from thelight source 104 and exited the optical proximity detector 102, as wellas ambient light that originated from another source of light. In oneembodiment, the switch Sw can be used to disconnect the input of theamplifier 122 from the light detector 106, and instead connect the inputof the amplifier 122 to a further light detector (e.g., a dummy orcalibration light detector) that is substantially the same as the lightdetector 106 but is permanently covered with or encased within an opaquematerial so that no light is ever incident on the further lightdetector. In this embodiment, the digital I-signal and the digitalQ-signal that are output by the ADCs 146 comprise an IQ vector that isindicative of the electrical crosstalk produced by the analog-front end108, but is not indicative of optical crosstalk.

In another embodiment, the light detector 106 can be caused to benon-responsive to light incident on the light detector 106 from outsidethe optical proximity detector 102 by temporarily covering the lightdetector 106 with an opaque material so that no light that is incidenton the optical proximity detector 102 will be incident on the lightdetector 106. In still another embodiment, the light detector 106 can becaused to be non-responsive to light incident on the light detector 106from outside the optical proximity detector 102104 by temporarilyplacing the optical proximity detector in a completely dark environment(e.g., a sealed chamber or room) that does not include a target (e.g.,105) within the sense region of the optical proximity detector 102. Inthese latter two embodiments, the signal produced by the light detector106 will include both electrical and optical crosstalk. Morespecifically, in these two latter embodiments the digital I-signal andthe digital Q-signal that are output by the ADCs 146 will comprise an IQvector indicative of the electrical crosstalk produced by theanalog-front end 108, which is also indicative of optical crosstalk.Crosstalk error data indicative of this IQ vector is stored, e.g., inone or more registers 160 and/or in memory 162 (preferably innon-volatile memory), for use by the crosstalk corrector 154 during theoperational mode of the optical proximity detector 102. Morespecifically, during the operational mode the IQ vector indicative ofcrosstalk can be subtracted from the dynamic gain and phase offsetcorrected 1Q vector output by the dynamic gain and phase offsetcorrector 153 to produce a dynamic phase and offset corrected andcrosstalk corrected IQ vector.

The aforementioned crosstalk error data can be stored, e.g., in one ormore registers 160 or in memory 162 this is/are accessible to thecrosstalk corrector 154. The above described crosstalk calibrationprocedure can performed just once, e.g., in a factory setting, or fromtime to time, e.g., periodically and/or in response to a triggeringevent.

Static Phase Offset Correction

The IQ vector that is output by the crosstalk corrector 154 can bereferred to as the dynamic phase and offset corrected and crosstalkcorrected IQ vector, or more simply as the corrected IQ vector. Thephase and magnitude calculator 156 calculates phase and magnitude valuesin dependence on this corrected IQ vector, e.g., using a look up table,or a CORDIC algorithm, but not limited thereto. The magnitude value canbe used by the gain adjustment controller 150 to adjust the gainprovided by the gain adjustment circuit 130. The phase value can be usedto calculate a distance between the optical proximity detector 102 and atarget 105, which can also be referred to as the distance to the target105. For example, the phase value, which can also be referred to as thephase-offset (relative to the light emitted by the IR light source), canbe converted to a time delay (because for any carrier frequency there isa corresponding relationship between phase-offset and time delay). Thetime delay can be converted to a roundtrip distance by multiplying thetime delay by the well-known speed of light, as is typically done whenusing time-of-flight (TOF) principles. The roundtrip distance can beconverted to a one-way distance, which is the distance between theoptical proximity detector 102 and the object 105, by dividing theroundtrip distance by two. More specifically, the distance (d) betweenthe optical proximity detector 102 and the object 105 can be determinedusing the equation: d=(c*t)/2, where c is the speed of light and t isthe time delay. Optimally, if a target 105 is positioned at a knowndistance (e.g. 6 inches) from the optical proximity detector 102, thenthe phase determined by the phase and magnitude calculator 156 shouldcorrespond to the target 105 being that known distance (e.g., 6 inches)from the optical proximity detector 102. However, due to a static phaseoffset associated with the analog-front end 108, this will not be thecase. In other words, it is inherent that the analog circuitry withinthe front-end 108 will affect that accuracy of the phase determined bythe phase and magnitude calculator 156. Certain embodiments describedherein correct for such a static phase offset, as explained below.

in accordance with an embodiment, during a static phase offsetcalibration procedure or mode, a target 105 is placed at a knowndistance from the optical proximity detector 102, and the phase outputby the phase and magnitude calculator 156 is compared to a phase thatactually corresponds to the known distance. For example, if the phasethat actually corresponds to the known distance is Φ₁, but the phase andmagnitude calculator 156 determines that the phase is Φ₂ when an object105 is at that known distance, then the static phase offset Φ_(spo) canbe determined using the equation Φ_(spo),=Φ₂−Φ₁. The static phase offsetvalue error data can be stored, e.g., in one or more registers 160 or inmemory 162 this is/are accessible to the static phase offset corrector158. During the operational mode, the static phase offset corrector 158corrects for a static phase offset of the optical proximity detector102, which can also be referred to as distance offset calibration. Morespecifically, during the operational mode the static phase offsetcorrector 158 subtracts the static phase offset (determined during thestatic phase offset calibration procedure) from the phase value outputby the phase and magnitude calculator 156.

In accordance with certain embodiments, the steps associated with thevarious calibration modes or procedures are performed prior to the stepsassociate with the operational mode. For example, the steps associatedwith the various calibration modes can be performed every time the stepsassociate with the operational mode are to be performed, or just one outof every N times the steps associate with the operational mode are to beperformed, or when the steps associate with the operational mode are tobe performed and it's been at least a specified amount of time since thelast time one or more of the calibration mode(s) was/were performed. Inspecific embodiments, the steps associated with the crosstalkcalibration mode and the static offset calibration mode are performedonce, e.g., in a factory, and the steps associated with the dynamic gainand phase offset calibration mode are performed every time the stepsassociate with the operational mode are to be performed, or just one outof every N times the steps associate with the operational mode are to beperformed, or when the steps associate with the operational mode are tobe performed and it's been at least a specified amount of time since thelast time the calibration mode was performed. These are just a fewexamples, which are not intended to be all encompassing.

Methods

The high level flow diagram of FIGS. 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D will now be usedto describe methods that are for use with an optical proximity detector,such as the optical proximity detector 102 described with reference toFIG. 1. The steps described with reference to FIG. 2A are intended to beperformed during an operational mode of the optical proximity detector.The steps described with reference to FIG. 2B are intended to beperformed during a dynamic gain and phase offset calibration mode orprocedure of the optical proximity detector. The steps described withreference to FIG. 2C are intended to be performed during a crosstalkcalibration mode or procedure. The steps described with reference toFIG. 2D are intended to be performed during a static phase offsetcalibration procedure.

As will be appreciated from the following discussion, and as mentionedabove, at least one instance of the calibration procedures describedwith reference to FIGS. 2B, 2C and 2D should be performed before thefirst instance of the operational procedure or mode described withreference to FIG. 2A, so that the optical proximity detector candetermine (during the calibration procedure) the appropriate values,vectors, transfer functions and/or the like, to use during theoperational mode.

Referring to FIG. 2A, a drive signal having a carrier frequency isproduced, as indicated at step 202. Step 202 can be performed, e.g., bythe driver 110 described above with reference to FIG. 1. As indicated atstep 204, a light source (e.g., 106 in FIG. 1) is driven with the drivesignal to thereby cause the light source to emit light having thecarrier frequency. At step 206, an analog light detection signal isproduced, which is indicative of a magnitude and a phase of a portion ofthe light emitted by the light source that reflects off an object and isincident on a light detector (e.g., 106 in FIG. 1). At step 208, theanalog light detection signal is amplified using analog amplificationcircuitry (e.g., 132 in FIG. 1) to thereby produce an amplitude adjustedanalog light detection signal. At step 210, IQ demodulation is performedto separate the amplitude adjusted analog light detection signal into ananalog in-phase signal and an analog quadrature-phase signal. Step 210can be performed, e.g., by the IQ demodulator 140 described above withreference to FIG. 1. At step 212, the analog in-phase andquadrature-phase signals are converted into digital in-phase andquadrature-phase signals. Step 212 can be performed, e.g., by the ADCs146 i, 146 q described above with reference to FIG. 1. More generally,steps 202-212 can be performed by an analog front-end, such as, but notlimited to, the analog front-end 108 described above with reference toFIG. 1.

As explained above in the discussion of FIG. 1, rather than performingIQ demodulation in the analog domain, IQ demodulation can alternativelybe performed in the digital domain by the digital back-end 112.Accordingly, more generally, between steps 208 and 214 in FIG. 2A thereis a producing of digital in-phase and quadrature-phase signals independence on the amplitude adjusted analog light detection signal.

At step 214, a correction is performed for dynamic variations in gainand phase offset caused by a portion of the analog-front end to therebyproduce dynamic gain and phase offset corrected digital in-phase andquadrature-phase signals. At step 216, a correction for electricalcrosstalk and/or optical crosstalk is performed to thereby producecrosstalk corrected digital in-phase and quadrature-phase signals. Thecorrections at steps 216 and 218 are examples of closed-loop correctionswhich rely on closed feedback loop(s) to perform corrections. At step218, a phase value and a magnitude value is determined in dependence onthe crosstalk corrected digital in-phase and quadrature-phase signals.At step 220, a correction for a static phase offset associated with theanalog front-end is performed to thereby produce a phase valueindicative of a distance to the object. Steps 214-220 can be performedby a digital back-end, such as, but not limited to, the digital back-end112 described above with reference to FIG. 1. More specifically, steps214, 216, 218 and 220 can be performed, respectively, by the dynamicgain and phase offset corrector 153, the crosstalk corrector 154, thephase and magnitude calculator 156 and the static phase offset corrector158.

Referring back to step 214, the portion of the analog front-end, forwhich dynamic variations in gain and phase offset are corrected, caninclude amplification circuitry (e.g., 132 in FIG. 1) used to performthe amplifying at step 208. As explained above, such dynamic variationsin gain and phase offset can be due to dynamic variations in thetemperature and/or operating voltage associated with the amplificationcircuitry. Additionally, the portion of the analog front-end, for whichdynamic variations in gain and phase offset are corrected for at step214, can include the light source and/or the light detector (e.g., 104and/or 106 in FIG. 1).

The amplification circuitry, used to perform the amplifying at step 208,has a transfer function that includes a nominal portion corresponding toa nominal response of the amplification circuitry and a dynamic portioncorresponding to a dynamic gain offset and a dynamic phase offset of theamplification circuitry. In accordance with an embodiment, thecorrecting for dynamic variations in gain and phase offset that isperformed at step 214 is performed using a DSP and/or digital circuitrythat applies a transfer function that is substantially equal to aninverse of the dynamic portion of the transfer function of the analogamplification circuitry. If the aforementioned transfer function (whichincludes the nominal portion and the dynamic portion) also includes theresponse of the light source and/or light detector, then theaforementioned inverse transfer function used at step 214 can alsocorrect for dynamic variations in gain and phase offset caused by thelight source and/or light detector.

In accordance with an embodiment, steps 202-212 are performed by ananalog front-end of an optical proximity detector, and steps 214-220 areperformed by a digital back-end of the optical proximity detector. Asmentioned above, steps 202-220, described with reference to FIG. 2A areperformed during an operational mode of the optical proximity detector.FIGS. 2B, 2C and 2D will now be used to describe steps that can beperformed during various calibration modes of the optical proximitydetector.

FIG. 2B is a high level flow diagram that is used to describe a methodfor use by an optical proximity detector, such as the one introduced inFIG. 1, during a dynamic gain and phase offset calibration mode.Referring to FIG. 2B, at step 222 a calibration reference signal isproduced that has a same phase as the drive signal used for driving thelight source. Step 222 can be performed, e.g., using the calibrationreference signal generator 107 described above with reference to FIG. 1.At step 224, the calibration reference signal is provided to the analogfront-end, e.g., using the switch Sw in FIG. 1. At step 226, an actualmagnitude and an actual phase of an IQ vector corresponding to digitalin-phase and quadrature-phase signals received from the analogfront-end, or filtered versions thereof, are determined. At step 228, adifference between the actual magnitude of the IQ vector and an expectedmagnitude of the IQ vector is determined in order to determine azero-phase gain offset. At step 230, a difference between the actualphase of the IQ vector and an expected phase of the IQ vector isdetermined in order to determine a zero-phase phase offset. At step 232,based on the zero-phase gain offset and the zero-phase phase offset,there is a determination of a transfer function that is for use incorrecting for dynamic variations in gain and phase offset at step 214during the operational mode of the optical proximity detector. Step 232can also include storing data indicative of the determined transferfunction. Steps 224-232 can be performed, e.g., by the dynamic gain andphase offset corrector 153 in FIG. 1, or a DSP, or more generally aprocessor. Such a DSP, or more generally processor, may or may not bethe same one that is used to implement the dynamic gain and phase offsetcorrector 153 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2C is a high level flow diagram that is used to describe a methodfor use by an optical proximity detector, such as the one introduced inFIG. 1, during a crosstalk calibration mode to determining values orvectors for use at step 216 (during the operational mode) to correct forelectrical and/or optical crosstalk. Referring to FIG. 2C, at step 234,the light detector (e.g., 106 in FIG. 1) is caused to be non-responsiveto light incident on the light detector 106 from outside the opticalproximity detector 102. Exemplary details of how to perform step 234were described above, and thus, need not be repeated. At step 236 and238, respectively, the drive signal having the carrier frequency isproduced (e.g., by the driver 110 in FIG. 1), and the light source isdriven with the drive signal to thereby cause the light source to emitlight having the carrier frequency. At step 240, an analog detectionsignal indicative of electrical and optical crosstalk is produced. Atstep 242, the analog detection signal is amplified using amplificationcircuitry (e.g., 132 in FIG. 1) to thereby produce an amplitude adjustedanalog detection signal. At step 244, IQ demodulation is performed toseparate the amplitude adjusted analog detection signal into an analogin-phase signal and an analog quadrature-phase signal. At step 246, theanalog in-phase and quadrature-phase signals are converted into digitalin-phase and quadrature-phase signals indicative of electrical andoptical crosstalk. At step 248, crosstalk error data indicative ofelectrical and optical crosstalk is saved (e.g., in registers 160 ormemory 162 in FIG. 1) for use during the operational mode. Preferablythe crosstalk error data is saved in non-volatile memory.

FIG. 2D is a high level flow diagram that is used to describe a methodfor use by an optical proximity detector, such as the one introduced inFIG. 1, during a static phase offset calibration mode. Referring to FIG.2D, while an object is placed at a known distance from optical proximitydetector (e.g., 102), a dynamic phase and offset corrected and crosstalkcorrected IQ vector is obtained, as indicated at step 250. This step canbe performed by essentially performing steps 202-216 described abovewith reference to FIG. 2A, while an object is placed at a known distancefrom the optical proximity detector. At step 252, a phase value iscalculated in dependence on the dynamic phase and offset corrected andcrosstalk corrected IQ vector. This step can be performed by essentiallyperforming step 218 described above with reference to FIG. 2A. At step254, a difference is determined between the phase value calculated atstep 252 and a phase value that corresponds to the known distance atwhich the object is placed from the optical proximity detector, tothereby determine the static phase offset. At step 256, data indicativeof the static phase offset is saved (e.g., in a register or memory) foruse at step 220 during the operational mode.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary repetition rate and an exemplary pulsewidth of the drive signal produced by the driver 110.

Corrections for Residual Errors

Optical proximity sensors that utilize time of flight (TOF) principleswhen implemented using real circuits, tend to be susceptible to a numberof factors, including, but not limited to, dynamic variations intemperature, supply voltage, light source forward voltage drop, ambientlight and signal strength. In other words, dynamic variations intemperature, supply voltage, light source forward voltage drop, ambientlight and signal strength can affect real circuits of optical proximitysensors that utilize TOF principles, and thus, can affect the accuracyof phase and/or distance value produced by such optical proximitysensors. Closed loop calibrations that utilize a calibration referencesignal can be used to reduce errors resulting from such dynamicvariations. Examples of such closed loop calibrations were describedabove. While such closed loop calibrations can be used to significantlyreduce errors, and thereby, to significantly increase the accuracy ofphase and/or distance values produced by an optical proximity sensorthat utilizes TOF principles, residual errors may still remain thatadversely affect the accuracy.

Residual errors may result where dynamic variations in temperature,supply voltage, light source forward voltage drop, ambient light and/orsignal strength occur faster than the closed loop calibrations cancorrect for such variations. Residual errors may also result fromchanges in gain values used by gain adjustment circuitry (e.g., 130 inFIG. 1), and more specifically, by VGAs of such circuitry. Residualerrors may also result from phase errors that are outside of one or moreclosed loop calibration loops. For more specific examples, residualerrors may occur due to one or more of the following factors:transimpedance amplifier (e.g., 122 in FIG. 1) phase variationsassociated with changes in ambient light that is incident on a lightdetector (e.g., 106 in FIG. 1); phase drift of a calibration referencesignal (e.g., generated by the calibration reference signal generator107 in FIG. 1); phase errors associated with gain adjustment circuitry(e.g., 130 in FIG. 1); delay drift associated with a light detector(e.g., 106 in FIG. 1); delay drift associated with a light source (e.g.,104 in FIG. 1); and constant time delays caused by oscillator drifts(e.g., associated with the timing generator 120 in FIG. 1).Additionally, or alternatively, residual errors may occur due to dynamicvariations in optical crosstalk and/or electrical crosstalk that occurdue to dynamic variations in ambient light incident on a light detector(e.g., 106 in FIG. 1) and/or due to dynamic variations in temperature.Residual errors may also occur due to dynamic variations or drift in adrive current used to drive a light source (e.g., 104 in FIG. 1), theforward voltage drop across the light source, as well as electro-opticalefficiency of the light source. Other potential sources of residualerrors relate to variations in the common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR)and/or power-supply rejection ratio (PSRR) associated with atransimpedance amplifier (TIA) (e.g., 122 in FIG. 1) and/or a low noiseamplifier (LNA). Residual errors may also result from temperaturedependent variations of luminous efficiency of a light source (e.g., 104in FIG. 1) and/or temperature dependent variations in responsivity if alight detector (e.g., 106 in FIG. 1).

FIG. 4 illustrates an optical proximity detector, according to anembodiment, that can correct for one or more of the above mentionedresidual errors. Referring to FIG. 4, the optical proximity detector 402shown therein includes all of the components included in the opticalproximity detector 102, described above with reference to FIG. 1, plussome additional components. The components that are labeled the same wayin FIG. 4 as they are in FIG. 1 operate in the same manner, and thus,need not be described again.

Referring to FIG. 4, the optical proximity detector 402 is shown as alsoincluding a temperature sensor 404, a supply voltage sensor 406 and alight source forward voltage drop sensor 408. In accordance with anembodiment: the temperature sensor 404 monitors the temperature of theoptical proximity detector 402 and outputs a digital temperature signal;the supply voltage sensor 406 monitors the supply voltage (Vcc) producedby the voltage supply 109 and outputs a digital supply voltage signal;and the light source forward voltage drop sensor 408 (also referred toas the Vf sensor) monitors the forward voltage drop (Vf) across thelight source 104 and outputs a digital forward voltage drop signal.Variations in the Vf across the light source 104, for a given drivesignal, will be primarily due to changes in the temperature of the lightsource 104. In an embodiment, the temperature sensor 404 is implementedusing an analog temperature transducer and an analog-to-digitalconverter (ADC) that outputs a digital signal having a magnitude that isproportional to the temperature of the optical proximity detector 402.In an embodiment, the supply voltage sensor 406 can be implemented usingan analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that outputs a digital signalhaving a magnitude that is proportional to the supply voltage (Vcc). Inan embodiment, the Vf sensor 408 is implemented using a resistor dividernetwork and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that outputs a digitalsignal having a magnitude that is proportional to the forward voltagedrop (Vf) across the light source 104. The digital signals produced bythe temperature sensor 404, the supply voltage sensor 406 and the Vfsensor 408 can also be referred to as sensed digital values, or morespecifically, as sensed correction factors. Another exemplary correctionfactor is/are the gain value(s) used by gain adjustment circuitry (e.g.,130). In accordance with an embodiment, one or more polynomialequation(s) is/are used to correct for one or more of the aforementionedresidual errors. An exemplary second order polynomial equation isP=P₀+P₁ (x−x₀)+P₂ (x−x₀)², wherein P is the corrected value, P₀, P₁ andP₂ are coefficients that are determined through testing, the variable xis a sensed or measured correction value, and x₀ is the value of thevariable x at the nominal condition (e.g., room temperature). As can beappreciated from this equation, when x₀=x, then P=P₀. In other words, atthe nominal condition (e.g., room temperature), P₀ is the value for P,and thus, P₀ can also be referred to as the nominal value for the factorP. The variable(s), e.g., x, in the polynomial equation can be, e.g.,the digital temperature value output by the temperature sensor 404, thedigital supply voltage value output by the supply voltage sensor 406, orthe Vf value output by the Vf sensor 408, but is not limited thereto.

An example of second order polynomial equation that can be used toperform a phase correction for one or more of the aforementioned factorsis Φ=Φ₀+Φ₁(x−x₀)+Φ₂(x−x₀)². Such an equation can be used to correct thephase value produced by the phase and magnitude corrector 156 and/or thephase value produced by the static phase offset corrector 158. Thevariable x can be, for example, any one of the digital temperature valueoutput by the temperature sensor 404, the digital supply voltage valueoutput by the supply voltage sensor 406, or the Vf value output by theVf sensor 408, but is not limited thereto. Assuming there is a desire tocorrect for variations in the temperature, supply voltage and Vf, thenthe following polynomial equation can be used:Φ=Φ₀+Φ_(1x)(x−x₀)+Φ_(2x)(x−x₀)²+_(Φ1y)(y−y₀)²+Φ_(2y)(y−x₀)²+Φ_(1z)(z−z₀)+Φ_(2z)(z−z₀)²,where x corresponds to temperature, y corresponds to supply voltage, andz corresponds to Vf. The coefficients and variables at the nominalconditions can be determined through experimentation, e.g., by locatingan object 105 at a known distance from the optical proximity detector402 and varying the temperature and supply voltage. The nominalconditions can include a nominal temperature (e.g., 21 degrees Celsius),a nominal supply voltage (e.g., 3.30V) and a nominal Vf (e.g., 0.70V),but are not limited thereto.

Similar equations that can be used to perform a crosstalk correction forone or more of the aforementioned factors are I=I₀+I₁(x−x₀)+I₂(x−x₀)²,and Q=Q₀+Q₁(x−x₀)+Q₂(x−x₀)². Such equations can be used to correct I andQ values produced by the dynamic gain and phase offset corrector 153and/or the I and Q values produced by the crosstalk corrector 154. Thevariable x can be, for example, any one of the digital temperature valueoutput by the temperature sensor 404, the digital supply voltage valueoutput by the supply voltage sensor 406, or the Vf value output by theVf sensor 408, but is not limited thereto. Assuming there is a desiredto correct for variations in the temperature, supply voltage and Vf,then the following polynomial equations can be used:I=I₀+I_(1x)(x−x₀)+I_(2x)(x−x₀)²+I_(1y)(y−y₀)+I_(2y)(y−x₀)²+I_(1z)(z−z₀)+I_(2z)(z−z₀)²,andQ=Q₀+Q_(1x)(x−x₀)+Q_(2x)(x−x₀)²+Q_(1y)(y−y₀)+Q_(2y)(y−y₀)²+Q_(1z)(z−z₀)+Q(z−z₀)²,where x corresponds to temperature, y corresponds to supply voltage, andz corresponds to Vf. The coefficients and variables at the nominalconditions can be determined through experimentation, e.g., by locatingan object 105 at a known distance from the optical proximity detector402 and varying the temperature and supply voltage. The nominalconditions can include a nominal temperature (e.g., 21 degrees Celsius),a nominal supply voltage (e.g., 3.30V) and a nominal Vf. (e.g., 0.70V),but are not limited thereto. For a further example, nominal conditionscan include nominal gain values used by gain adjustment circuitry. Eachof the variables used in the above algorithm could be excluded whileenjoying the functionality provided by the rest of the variables.Similarly, other variables can be added at a relatively low incrementalcost to the implementation. While the polynomial equations discussedabove are second order polynomial equations, higher order equations canalternatively be used, as can negative power terms. It is also withinthe scope of embodiments described herein to use first order polynomialequations, although second or higher order polynomial equations shouldproduce more accurate corrections.

The above equations can be performed using digital circuitry, e.g., thatis part of a same chip that includes the other components of the opticalproximity sensor 402. Alternatively, a separate digital chip can bededicated to performing these algorithms. In still another embodiment,such algorithms can be performed using firmware of a hostmicrocontroller unit (MCU) or microprocessor. Such digital circuitryand/or an MCU are represented by block 410 in FIG. 4. Other variationsare also possible, and within the scope of an embodiment. In accordancewith an embodiment, the digital circuit or microcontroller subroutineiteratively computes the contribution from each variable by reapplyingitself to every combination of variable(s) desired.

FIG. 5 is a high level flow diagram that is used to describe a methodfor performing open loop corrections for residual errors for use by anoptical proximity detector, such as the one introduced in FIG. 4.Referring to FIG. 5, a drive signal having a carrier frequency isproduced, as indicated at step 502. Step 502 can be performed, e.g., bythe driver 110 described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 4. Asindicated at step 504, a light source (e.g., 104 in FIGS. 1 and 4) isdriven with the drive signal to thereby cause the light source to emitlight having the carrier frequency. At step 506, an analog lightdetection signal is produced, which is indicative of a magnitude and aphase of a portion of the light emitted by the light source thatreflects off an object and is incident on a light detector (e.g., 106 inFIGS. 1 and 4). At step 508, the analog light detection signal isamplified using analog amplification circuitry (e.g., 132 in FIGS. 1 and4) to thereby produce an amplitude adjusted analog light detectionsignal.

At step 510, digital in-phase and quadrature-phase signals are producedin dependence on the amplitude adjusted analog light detection signal.This step can include, e.g., performing IQ demodulation to separate theamplitude adjusted analog light detection signal into an analog in-phasesignal and an analog quadrature-phase signal using an IQ demodulator(e.g., 140 in FIGS. 1 and 4). Such analog in-phase and quadrature-phasesignals can be converted into digital in-phase and quadrature-phasesignals using ADCs (e.g., 146 i, 146 q in FIGS. 1 and 4). Moregenerally, step 510 can be performed by an analog front-end, such as,but not limited to, the analog front-end 108 described above withreference to FIGS. 1 and 4. As explained above in the discussion of FIG.1, rather than performing IQ demodulation in the analog domain, IQdemodulation can alternatively be performed in the digital domain by adigital back-end (e.g., 112 in FIGS. 1 and 4).

Step 512 involves measuring one or more correction factors, including,e.g., temperature, supply voltage and/or forward voltage drop. Suchcorrection factors can be measured, e.g., using a temperature sensor(e.g., 404 in FIG. 4), a supply voltage sensor (e.g., 406 in FIG. 4)and/or a forward voltage drop sensor (e.g., 408 in FIG. 4).

Step 514 involves performing one or more closed loop corrections fordynamic variations in gain and/or phase caused by at least a portion ofcircuitry used to perform one or more of steps 502, 504, 506 or 508.Step 514 can be performed, e.g., using a dynamic gain and phase offsetcorrector (e.g., 153 in FIGS. 1 and 4), a crosstalk corrector (e.g., 154in FIGS. 1 and 4) and/or a gain adjustment controller (e.g., 150 inFIGS. 1 and 4).

Step 516 involves using one or more polynomial equations and at leastone of the one or more sensed correction factors (measured at step 512)to perform one or more open loop corrections for dynamic variations inat least one of temperature, supply voltage or forward voltage dropassociated with circuitry used to perform one or more of steps 502, 504,506 or 508. Step 516 can be performed, e.g., by digital circuitry (e.g.,that is part of a same chip that includes the other components of theoptical proximity sensor), by a separate digital chip dedicated toperforming these algorithms and/or using firmware of a host MCU, eachand all of which is/are represented by the block 410 in FIG. 4.

For specific examples, step 512 can involve measuring the temperature ofthe optical proximity detector, and step 516 can involve using one ormore polynomial equations and the measured temperature to perform openloop corrections for dynamic variations in the temperature of theoptical proximity detector. Additionally, or alternatively, step 512 caninvolve measuring the supply voltage of the optical proximity detector,and step 516 can involve using one or more polynomial equations and themeasured supply voltage to perform open loop corrections for dynamicvariations in the supply voltage of the optical proximity detector.Additionally, or alternatively, step 512 can involve measuring theforward voltage drop across the light source driven by the drive signal,and step 516 can involve using one or more polynomial equations and themeasured forward voltage drop across the light source to perform openloop corrections for dynamic variations in the forward voltage dropacross the light source. As can be appreciated from the discussionabove, such a method can also include determining coefficients ofvariables of the one or more polynomial equations at nominal conditionsby locating an object at a known distance from the optical proximitysensor and purposely varying a temperature of the optical proximitysensor and a supply voltage of the optical proximity sensor. In anembodiment, step 508 involves using one or more gain values to controlone or more variable gain amplifiers, and step 516 involves using one ormore polynomial equations to correct for dynamic variations in at leastone of the one or more gain values.

Still referring to FIG. 4, step 518 involves outputting a distancemeasurement (also referred to as a distance value) indicative of adistance between the optical proximity detector and an object off ofwhich the light emitted by the light source reflects and is incident onthe light detector. Step 518 can be performed, e.g., by a distancecalculator (e.g., 164 in FIGS. 1 and 4). The distance value output atstep 518 is produced as a result of the various closed and open loopcorrections discussed above.

Precision Estimation

Optical proximity detectors that rely on TOF technology, and morespecifically sine wave modulation. TOF (SWM TOF) technology, such asthose described above, can be used to detect the distance to an objectindependent to the return signal strength. However, the distanceinformation alone does not provide an indication of how precise the datais, potentially giving misleading results. Specific embodimentsdescribed herein allow a host system or user to evaluate both thedistance and the precision information in real time, thereby allowingfor statistical decision making. For example, precision information canbe used to reduce false negative and/or false positive detection ratesin a distance based binary detection scheme.

Generally speaking, the noise in a TOF based optical proximity detectorincreases as the square root of the ambient light induced DCphotocurrent, as well as the noise bandwidth. The distance error causedby noise is inversely proportional to the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).For example, 2× the integrated noise will result in a 2× increase instandard deviation of the distance (i.e., a 2× reduction in precision),while a 2× increase in signal strength will halve the standard deviation(i.e., with double the precision).

Access to the precision of a distance value can have many benefits,ranging from a simple screening of bad data, or as an input to a complexalgorithm such as a Kalman filter.

In accordance with specific embodiments of the present technology, anoptical proximity detector, or system including or in communication withan optical proximity detector, computes a precision value based on thefollowing information:

-   -   Integration Time (T_(int)), which sets the Noise Bandwidth        (NBW);    -   DC Photocurrent (DCPC), which is indicative of the photocurrent        induced shot noise; and    -   Signal Amplitude/Magnitude, which is indicative of the magnitude        of the detected signal used to determine distance to a target.

In accordance with an embodiment, this computation is implemented usingan arithmetic logic unit (ALU) which operates a sequence of algebraicoperations to compute a final result. In another embodiment, alook-up-table (LUT) based solution can be implemented. Otherimplementations are also possible and within the scope of an embodiment.

Precision estimation can be implemented using a monolithicimplementation, or multiple subsystems can cooperate to performprecision estimation. For example, the DCPC ADC 111 could be made offchip. For another example, the digital algorithm can be moved to adedicated digital chip, or a host MCU.

In accordance with an embodiment, the precision estimator 166 providesan estimate of the distance precision in the same units as the distancereadout codes, e.g., in units of meters, but is not limited thereto. Fora more specific example, where the distance calculator 164 produces adistance value of 1.2 meters, the precision estimator may output a valueof 0.1 meters, meaning that the distance value is better represented as1.2 meters+/−0.1 meters. Alternatively, the precision estimator 166produces a percentage value, e.g., 8.3%. For example, where the distancecalculator 164 produces a distance value of 1.2 meters, and theprecision estimator outputs a value of 8.3% meters, this means thedistance value is actually 1.2 meters+/−8.3%. As noted above, thedigital distance value output by the distance calculator 164 can be anactual value of the distance to the object. Alternatively, the digitaldistance value output by the distance calculator 164 can be a value thatis proportional to a distance or otherwise related to a distance to theobject, from which an actual value of distance to the object can becalculated, e.g., by multiplying the value by a constant or plugging thevalue into a predetermined equation. More generally, the digitaldistance value output by the distance calculator 164 is indicative ofdistance between the optical proximity detector 102 and an object (e.g.,the object 105) that is within the sense region (i.e., field of view andrange) of the optical proximity detector 102, and the digital valueoutput by the precision estimator is indicative of a precision of thedigital distance value output by the distance calculator 164.

The information acquired from a SWM TOF optical proximity detector, suchas those described above, can be considered a combination of twoorthogonal in-phase and quadrature components I and Q, or as a vectorwith magnitude A and phase Φ. Conversion between the two domains are asfollows:I=A·cos(Φ)Q=A·sin(Φ)A=√{square root over (I ²)}+Q ²Ø=arctan(I/Q)

Error propagation between these two domains can be done by conductinggradient/small signal analysis. If an error is introduced in thein-phase and quadrature components, the error in phase can beapproximated by conducting a small signal analysis, taking the partialderivative of arctan 2. For example, the following equations can be usedto estimate an error introduced by in-phase and quadrature components:

$\frac{\delta\phi}{\delta\; I} = \frac{Q}{I^{2} + Q^{2}}$$\frac{\delta\phi}{\delta\; Q} = \frac{I}{I^{2} + Q^{2}}$${\Delta\phi} = \frac{{Q\;\Delta\; I} + {I\;\Delta\; Q}}{I^{2} + Q^{2}}$

This approximation starts to degrade once the error terms become inexcess of 10% of the signal terms, at which point a full vector algebramay be more appropriate to compute the errors.

If the error in each of the I and Q channels is considered to beuncorrelated with both the signal and each other, the expression can besimplified as the following:

${{Var}(\phi)} = {{Var}\left( {{\frac{Q\;\Delta\; I}{I + Q^{2}} + {\frac{I\;\Delta\; Q}{I + Q^{2}}{{Var}(\phi)}}} = {{{{Var}\left( \frac{Q\;\Delta\; I}{I^{\Sigma} + Q^{2}} \right)} + {{{Var}\left( \frac{I\;\Delta\; Q}{I^{2} + Q^{2}} \right)}{{Var}(\phi)}}} = {{\frac{{{Var}(I)} + {{Var}(Q)}}{\left( {I^{2} + Q^{2}} \right)}{\sigma(\phi)}} = \frac{\sqrt{{\sigma\frac{2}{I}} + {\sigma\frac{2}{Q}}}}{\sqrt{I^{2}} + Q^{2}}}}} \right.}$

If the error is coming from a source prior to the point of demodulation,the following equation can be used:

${\sigma\rho} = {{\sigma\; Q} = \sqrt{\left. {NoisePSD} \middle| {}_{fmod}{\cdot {NBW} \cdot \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}} \right.}}$NBW is the noise bandwidth of the system

The entire expression can be simplified down to the following equation:

$\sigma_{\phi} = {\frac{\sqrt{\left. {NoisePSD} \middle| {}_{fmod}{\cdot {NBW}} \right.}}{A} = \frac{1}{SNR}}$$\sigma_{distance} = {\frac{1}{SNR} \cdot \frac{c}{4\pi\; f_{mod}}}$

where a (i.e., sigma) represents standard deviation, f_(mod) representsthe operating frequency, and c is the speed of light.

In accordance with an embodiment, the precision. estimator 166 uses theabove equation for σ_(distance) to produce the digital precision valuethat it outputs. As can be appreciated from the above equation, theprecision of an SWM TOF distance measurement is inversely proportionalto the SNR, as well as to the operating frequency (f_(mod)).

In accordance with an embodiment, the SNR is calculated based on thesignal magnitude (Mag. or A) output by the phase and magnitudecalculator 156, shot noise spectral density I_(shot) corresponding toambient light detected by the light detector 106, analog circuit noisespectral density I_(cld) corresponding to analog circuitry of theanalog-front-end 108, and an integration time T_(int) corresponding tothe digital filter(s) 152. More specifically, in accordance with anembodiment, the SNR value, which is used to calculate the precisionvalue, can be determined in accordance with the following equation:

${SNR} = \frac{I_{4.5{MHz}}}{\sqrt{I_{n}^{2}\text{/}\left( {2T_{int}} \right)}}$

Alternatively, the SNR, in terms of the peak to peak swing of the inputcurrent square wave, can be determined in accordance with the followingequation:

${SNR} = {\frac{I_{square}}{\sqrt{I_{n}^{2}\text{/}\left( {2T_{int}} \right)}} \cdot \frac{2}{\pi}}$

In accordance with an embodiment, I_(n) ² is determined in accordancewith the following equation:I _(n) ² =I _(shot) ² +I _(cla) ²I _(shot) ² =m·2qI _(D)

where:

I_(D) is the DC current through the photodiode.

m=1.5 is the Noise Factor of the AFE.

The I_(shot) is the noise power spectral density contribution of ambientlight detected by the light detector 106. This is in contrast to the IRlight detected by the light detector that originated from the IR lightsource 104, reflected off a target 105, and is incident on the lightdetector 106. In accordance with an embodiment, I_(shot) is measuredusing the DCPC ADC 111 during a period of time that the IR light source104 is not emitting IR light. In accordance with an embodiment, theanalog circuit noise spectral density I_(cla) is determined based on thedesign of the optical proximity detector 102, and is treated as aconstant, and can be determined through simulations and/orexperimentation and/or the use of circuitry design and/or mathematicalsoftware. The noise factor, m, will typically be in the range of about 1to 3, and for this example is assumed to be 1.5 for the opticalproximity detector 102. This noise factor may be different for differentdesigns, as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art.

FIG. 6 is a high level flow diagram that is used to describe a methodfor providing estimates of precision for use by an optical proximitydetector, such as the one introduced in FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 6, adrive signal having a carrier frequency is produced, as indicated atstep 602. Step 602 can be performed, e.g., by the driver 110 describedabove with reference to FIGS. 1 and 4. As indicated at step 604, a lightsource (e.g., 104 in FIGS. 1 and 4) is driven with the drive signal tothereby cause the light source to emit light having the carrierfrequency. At step 606, an analog light detection signal is produced,which is indicative of a magnitude and a phase of a portion of the lightemitted by the light source that reflects off an object and is incidenton a light detector (e.g., 106 in FIGS. 1 and 4). At step 608, theanalog light detection signal is amplified using analog amplificationcircuitry (e.g., 132 in FIGS. 1 and 4) to thereby produce an amplitudeadjusted analog light detection signal.

At step 610, digital in-phase and quadrature-phase signals are producedin dependence on the amplitude adjusted analog light detection signal.This step can include, e.g., performing IQ demodulation to separate theamplitude adjusted analog light detection signal into an analog in-phasesignal and an analog quadrature-phase signal using an IQ demodulator(e.g., 140 in FIGS. 1 and 4). Such analog in-phase and quadrature-phasesignals can be converted into digital in-phase and quadrature-phasesignals using ADCs (e.g., 146 i, 146 q in FIGS. 1 and 4). Moregenerally, step 510 can be performed by an analog front-end, such as,but not limited to, the analog front-end 108 described above withreference to FIGS. 1 and 4. As explained above in the discussion of FIG.1, rather than performing IIQ demodulation in the analog domain, IQdemodulation can alternatively be performed in the digital domain by adigital back-end (e.g., 112 in FIGS. 1 and 4).

At step 612, a digital distance value, indicative of a distance betweenthe optical proximity detector and the object, is produced in dependenceon the digital in-phase and quadrature-phase signals. Step 616 can beperformed, at least in part, by a distance calculator (e.g., 164 in FIG.4). In certain embodiments, step 612 can involve, e.g., performing oneor more of closed loop and/or open loop corrections described above withreference to FIGS. 1-5. The closed loop corrections can be performed,e.g., using a dynamic gain and phase offset corrector (e.g., 153 inFIGS. 1 and 4), a crosstalk corrector (e.g., 154 in FIGS. 1 and 4)and/or a gain adjustment controller (e.g., 150 in FIGS. 1 and 4). Theopen loop corrections can be performed, e.g., by digital circuitry(e.g., that is part of a sane chip that includes the other components ofthe optical proximity sensor), by a separate digital chip dedicated toperforming these algorithms and/or using firmware of a host MCU, eachand all of which is/are represented by the block 410 in FIG. 4.

At step 614, a digital precision value is produced which is indicativeof a precision of the digital distance value. In an embodiment, step 614can includes determining a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) associated withthe analog light detection signal produced at step 606, and producingthe digital precision value in dependence on the SNR. Determining theSNR, associated with the analog light detection signal produced at 606,can includes, e.g., determining a noise spectral density contribution ofambient light detected by the light detector, and determining the SNR independence on the determined noise spectral density contribution ofambient light detected by the light detector, as was described inadditional detail above. In a specific embodiment, step 614 can includedetermining the digital precision value in dependence on an integrationtime that sets a noise bandwidth of the optical proximity detector, a DCphotocurrent associated with the light detector that produces the analoglight detection signal, and a magnitude of the analog light detectionsignal produced using the light detector. In certain embodiments, thedigital precision value produced at step 614 is a measure indicative ofstandard deviation. For example, the digital precision value can be aconstant multiple of standard deviation, depending upon a desiredbehavior and implementation. Step 614 can be performed by, e.g., by aprecision estimator (e.g., 166 in FIG. 4).

At step 616, the digital distance value and the digital precision valueare output. For example, the digital distance value can be output by adistance calculator (e.g., 164 in FIGS. 1 and 2), and the digitalprecision value can be output by a precision estimator (e.g., 166 inFIG. 4). The digital distance value and the digital precision value,which are output, can both be in a same unit of length. Alternatively,the digital distance value that is output is in a unit of length, andthe digital precision value that is output corresponds to a percentage,as was explained above. Other variations are also possible.

In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the smaller thedigital precision value the better the signal integrity. In other words,the error bars associated with the distance measurement are smaller.Conversely, the greater the digital precision value the worse the signalintegrity. In other words, the error bars associated with the distancemeasurement are larger, and thus, the digital distance value likely maynot be trusted. More generally, a magnitude of the digital precisionvalue can be inversely related to a precision of the digital distancevalue, such that a smaller the magnitude of the digital distance value agreater the precision of the digital distance value.

In certain embodiments, a method can also include determining, independence on the digital precision value, whether or not to use thedigital distance value to selectively enable or disable a subsystem. Forexample, the digital precision value can be compared to a precisionthreshold level indicative of a specified minimum acceptable precision.In such an embodiment, if the digital precision value is below theprecision threshold level, then there is a determination that thedigital distance value should be used to selectively enable or disablethe subsystem. On the other hand, if the digital precision value isabove the precision threshold level, then there is a determination thatthe digital distance value should not be used to selectively enable ordisable the subsystem.

Systems

Optical proximity detectors described herein can be used in varioussystems, including, but not limited to, cell-phones andhandheld-devices. Referring to the system 700 of FIG. 7, for example,the optical proximity detector 102 or 402 can be used to control whethera subsystem 706 (e.g., a touch screen, display, backlight, virtualscroll wheel, virtual keypad, navigation pad, a camera, another sensor,a central processing unit (CPU), a mechanical actuator, etc.) is enabledor disabled. For example, the optical proximity detector can detect whenan object, such as a person's finger, is approaching, and based on thedetection either enable (or disable) a subsystem 706. More specifically,an output of the proximity detector 102 or 402 can be provided to acomparator or processor 704 which can, e.g., compare the output of theproximity detector to a threshold, to determine whether the object iswithin a range where the subsystem 706 should be enabled (or disabled,depending on what is desired). Multiple thresholds (e.g., stored digitalvalues) can be used, and more than one possible response can occur basedon the detected proximity of an object. For example, a first responsecan occur if an object is within a first proximity range, and a secondresponse can occur if the object is within a second proximity range.Exemplary responses can include starting various system and/or subsystemoperations.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been describedabove, it should be understood that they have been presented by way ofexample, and not limitation. It will be apparent to persons skilled inthe relevant art that various changes in form and detail can be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.For example, while the light source 104 and the light detector 106 inFIGS. 1 and 4 are shown as being external the optical proximitydetector, one or both of the light source 104 and the light detector 106can be considered part of the optical proximity detector 102 or 402, andmore specifically part of the analog front-end of the optical proximitydetector, depending upon implementation.

The breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited byany of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be definedonly in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. An optical proximity detector, comprising: adriver adapted to produce a drive signal for use in driving a lightsource to thereby cause the light source to emit light; a light detectoradapted to produce a light detection signal indicative of a magnitudeand a phase of a portion of the light emitted by the light source thatreflects off an object and is incident on the light detector; an analogfront-end adapted to receive the light detection signal produced by thelight detector and in dependence thereon output a digital lightdetection signal, or digital in-phase and quadrature-phase signals; anda digital back-end adapted to receive the digital light detectionsignal, or the digital in-phase and quadrature-phase signals, from theanalog front-end, and use one or more polynomial equations to performone or more open loop corrections for dynamic variations in at least oneof temperature, supply voltage or forward voltage drop so as to therebydetermine a distance value indicative of a distance between the opticalproximity detector and the object.
 2. The optical proximity detector ofclaim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor adapted to measure thetemperature of the optical proximity detector, wherein the digitalback-end is further adapted to use at least one of the one or morepolynomial equations and the temperature measured by the temperaturesensor to perform open loop corrections for dynamic variations in thetemperature of the optical proximity detector.
 3. The optical proximitydetector of claim 1, further comprising a supply voltage sensor adaptedto measure the supply voltage of the optical proximity detector, whereinthe digital back-end is further adapted to use at least one of the oneor more polynomial equations and the supply voltage measured by thesupply voltage sensor to perform open loop corrections for dynamicvariations in the supply voltage of the optical proximity detector. 4.The optical proximity detector of claim 1, further comprising a forwardvoltage drop sensor adapted to measure the forward voltage drop acrossthe light source driven by the driver of the optical proximity detector,wherein the digital back-end is further adapted to use at least one ofthe one or more polynomial equations and the forward voltage dropmeasured by the forward voltage drop sensor to perform open loopcorrections for dynamic variations in the forward voltage drop acrossthe light source driven by the driver of the optical proximity detector.5. The optical proximity detector of claim 1, further comprising: atemperature sensor adapted to measure the temperature of the opticalproximity detector, a supply voltage sensor adapted to measure thesupply voltage of the optical proximity detector, and a forward voltagedrop sensor adapted to measure the forward voltage drop across the lightsource driven by the driver of the optical proximity detector, whereinthe digital back-end is further adapted to use at least one of the oneor more polynomial equations, the measured temperature, the measuredsupply voltage and the measured forward voltage drop to perform openloop corrections for dynamic variations in the temperature, the supplyvoltage and the forward voltage drop.
 6. The optical proximity detectorof claim 1, wherein: the analog front end includes amplificationcircuitry that uses one or more gain values to control amplifying of thelight detection signal produced by the light detector before the lightdetection signal is converted to the digital light detection signal orthe digital in-phase and quadrature-phase signals; and the digitalback-end is adapted to use at least one of the one or more polynomialequations to correct for dynamic variations in at least one of the oneor more gain values.
 7. The optical proximity detector of claim 1,wherein at least one of the one or more polynomial equations comprises asecond order polynomial equation.
 8. The optical proximity detector ofclaim 1, wherein the digital back-end includes digital circuitry adaptedto implement the one or more polynomial equations.
 9. The opticalproximity detector of claim 1, wherein the digital back-end includes amicrocontroller or microprocessor adapted to implement the one or morepolynomial equations.
 10. The optical proximity detector of claim 1,farther comprising the light source that is driven by the drive signalproduced by the driver.
 11. A method for use by an optical proximitydetector, comprising: (a) driving a light source with a drive signal tothereby cause the light source to emit light; (b) producing an analoglight detection signal indicative of a magnitude and a phase of aportion of the light emitted by the light source that reflects off anobject and is incident on a light detector; (c) amplifying the analoglight detection signal using amplification circuitry to thereby producean amplitude adjusted analog light detection signal; (d) producing, independence on the amplitude adjusted analog light detection signal,digital in-phase and quadrature-phase signals; (e) using one or morepolynomial equations to perform one or more open loop corrections fordynamic variations in at least one of temperature, supply voltage orforward voltage drop associated with circuitry used to perform one ormore of steps (a), (b), (c) or (d) to thereby determine a distance valueindicative of a distance between the optical proximity detector and theobject.
 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: (f) measuringthe temperature of the optical proximity detector, wherein step (e)further comprises using at least one of the one or more polynomialequations and the measured temperature to perform open loop correctionsfor dynamic variations in the temperature of the optical proximitydetector.
 13. The method of claim 11, further comprising: (f) measuringthe supply voltage of the optical proximity detector, wherein step (e)further comprises using at least one of the one or more polynomialequations and the measured supply voltage to perform open loopcorrections for dynamic variations in the supply voltage of the opticalproximity detector.
 14. The method of claim 11, further comprising: (f)measuring the forward voltage drop across the light source driven by thedrive signal, wherein step (e) further comprises using at least one ofthe one or more polynomial equations and the measured forward voltagedrop to perform open loop corrections for dynamic variations in theforward voltage drop across the light source.
 15. The method of claim11, further comprising: (f) measuring the temperature of the opticalproximity detector, (g) measuring the supply voltage of the opticalproximity detector, and (h) measuring the forward voltage drop acrossthe light source driven by the drive signal, wherein step (e) furthercomprises using at least one of the one or more polynomial equations,the measured temperature, the measured supply voltage and the measuredforward voltage drop to perform open loop corrections for dynamicvariations in the temperature of the optical proximity detector, dynamicvariations in the supply voltage of the optical proximity detector, anddynamic variations in the forward voltage drop across the light source.16. The method of claim 11, wherein at step (c) one or more gain valuesis/are used to control the amplifying, and wherein at step (e) at leastone of the one or more polynomial equations is used to correct fordynamic variations in at least one of the one or more gain values. 17.The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the one or morepolynomial equations comprises a second order polynomial equation. 18.The method of claim 11, farther comprising determining coefficients ofvariables of the one or more polynomial equations at nominal conditionsby locating an object at a known distance from the optical proximitysensor and purposely varying a temperature of the optical proximitysensor and a supply voltage of the optical proximity sensor.